Heart of Darkness
by satoshiketchumhybrid
Summary: Returning Home from Kalos, Ash is captured by Team Rocket and turned into a humanoid Absol. When he returns, Serena sees that the kind boy she loved, has turned into a savage beast. As Ash falls deeper into the shadows, Serena learns that healing a broken heart is more complicated than she thought.
1. Prologue: Captured

_**Note: I do not own "Pokemon" nor any of its characters.**_

Forms of Speech:

Telepathy/thoughts: " _no need to worry."_

Human/pokemon: "Finally"

Hybrid: " **BACK OFF** "

Prologue: Captured 

With the Kalos League over a trainer is returning home. The boy was wearing a blue jacket with a white circle near the collar. A hat with a half pokeball shaped symbol covered his mess of raven-black hair. He wore red jeans and black sneakers. The boy is Ash Ketchum, the runner-up in the Kalos League. 

"Well Pikachu, we did better than last time." said Ash. 

"Pika." Pikachu agreed. 

Ash had made it to the final round, facing off against his rival Alain. Both sides were neck and neck from the beginning of the battle to the end. His Greninja was defeated by Alain's Charizard, but people agreed that it could have gone either way. Now, Ash was walking down Route 1 holding his head up high. Nothing could spoil his mood. Or so he thought. 

He was almost at the end of the road when he heard a voice. One he hoped he would never hear again.

"It's been a long time boy." the voice spoke as its owner stepped out of the shadows. 

"Giovonni!" Ash yelled, "What are you doing here?!" 

"Simple," he said, "I came for you."

"What?" Ash said wondering why Giovonni would bother with a thirteen-year old kid.

"All will be revealed to you in due time," he explained, "so just come quietly."

Before Ash could protest, he was slammed in the back of his head. As he blacked out, he saw his captors strike Pikachu with multiple attacks, leaving the Mouse Pokemon unconscious on the ground. Ash then realized, he was a prisoner of Team Rocket.


	2. Chapter 1: Dangerous Encounter

Chapter 1: Dangerous Encounter

Serena woke to the sound of an alarm. She had been unable to sleep properly, having constant nightmares since Ash disappeared. She got dressed and walked downstairs. Her mother, Grace, was making breakfast, oatmeal flavored toast, from the looks of it. Serena opened a cabinet and pulled out a box of cereal. As she headed towards the door, she felt her holocaster vibrate. She pressed a button on the device and a hologram of an orange-haired boy appeared.

"Hey Trevor." Serena said.

"Hi," he said, "We're going to meet in the park today."

"Okay." Serena said as the hologram disappeared.

She and her friends would meet up in an abandoned park outside Santelune City to catch up on each others lives. It helped take our minds off of our problems. Little did she know that they would learn more than just each others life.

 _Meanwhile in Santelune City..._

A figure watches from the shadows as a man steps out of a coffee shop. It follows the man throughout the city watching his every move, waiting for the perfect time to strike...

 _1 hour later..._

Serena had just arrived at the park. She always felt nervous when she was here. It was understandable, as many Ghost-type pokemon live in the tower nearby. She saw her friends Shauna, Trevor, Tierno and Clemont over by a bench and walked over to them. They talked for hours about their adventures. After a while, they sat in silence until one of the group spoke up.

"It's been a long time since that day, hasn't it?" Clemont asked.

Everyone was silent. They new what he meant. It was the day Ash disappeared. No one knew where he was.

As if on cue, a scream rang through the park. The group had always felt that ignoring a cry for help would be a betrayal of Ash's legacy. As such, they bolted out of the park in the direction of the scream. It lead to an alley where the group saw both a majestic and terrifying sight.

It was an Absol. But it also looked human. It had cornered a former agent of Team Rocket, evident by the crossed out "R" on his clothes. The man had a look of sheer terror on his face. " _Why does that beast seem so familiar?"_ Serena thought. It spoke in a voice that seemed full of anger and hatred, " **I DO NOT CARE WHETHER OR NOT YOU STILL ALIGN YOURSELF WITH TEAM ROCKET. YOU WERE ONE OF THEM. YOU DESERVE TO DIE.** "

What the group saw next looked like it was from a horror movie. The absol-human hybrid slashed the man with its claws. Blood poured out of the wound like a faucet, before it tore the man's arms and legs straight out of their sockets with its teeth. With its mouth and fur covered in the man's blood, it was like looking at death itself.

The group started to back away slowly when it saw them. But while they were looking at the aftermath, Serena was looking at something else. She looked at the beast with tears streaming down her face. Even though his appearance had changed, she could still make out the subtle features. The brown-hazel colored eyes, the zig-zag markings underneath them and the untamed raven black hair. It was him. Her lover who had disappeared.

"Ash...", she said weakly, overwhelmed by the past 2 minutes.

The group stared at her in disbelief. This couldn't be him. He would never kill someone. They were about to protest her comment, when the beast interrupted.

" **SO YOU RECOGNIZED ME AFTER ALL**." he said. He no longer had an expression of anger on his face.

Needless to say, the group was speechless. The boy who was kind and caring to almost everyone, had just torn someone to shreds.

"A-Ash, why d-did y-you-" Serena stuttered.

" **YOU WOULD NEVER UNDERSTAND**." he said, cutting her off.

"Dude, with the stuff we've seen while traveling with you, nothing could surprise us." Tierno said.

" **P** **1000 SAYS YOUR WRONG**." Ash said dryly.

"Deal." Tierno agreed.

" **TEAM ROCKET KIDNAPPED ME WHEN I RETURNED FROM KALOS** ," Ash explained, " **THE INJECTED ME WITH A SERUM THAT TURNED ME INTO THIS,** " as Ash spoke Serena could hear him growling under his breath and it was scaring her, " **THEY UNDERESTIMATED HOW POWERFUL I WOULD BECOME. I KILLED EVERYONE IN THEIR BASE AND SCOURED THE WORLD FOR ANY OF THEIR SURVIVING MEMBERS. IT DOESN'T MATTER TO ME WHETHER THEY ARE STILL MEMBERS OR NOT. I VOWED TO KILL THEM ALL.** "

Everyone but Serena fainted.

Serena broke down crying. Ash had changed, both physically and mentally. She prayed that his feelings for her had not changed.

Serena approached him against the other protests. Since his disappearance, she wanted nothing more than to feel him embrace her again. She lunged into his chest, praying he would not reject her. That's when she felt it.

As she opened her eyes she saw his arms around her holding onto her as if he would never let go. However, he did.

"Ash, don't go!" Serena was crying harder than before. " **SERENA, THIS IS NOT YOUR FIGHT. IT IS MINE. I CAN NOT PUT YOU IN HARMS WAY,** " Ash said, his voice breaking. Serena saw tears streaming down his own face. She refused to let him go through his pain alone, "I am going with you, and I don't care what you say. If you try to leave without me, then I will find you. We have been through everything together and that is how it will always be!"

Ash was silent. He had expected her to reject him after seen his savagery and learning of his actions. He figured his stubbornness must have rubbed off on her at some point. " **VERY WELL,** " he sighed, " **BUT YOU ARE TO DO EXACTLY AS I SAY REGARDLESS OF THE SITUATION. YOU ARE ALSO TO STAY WITH ME AT ALL TIMES, UNDERSTAND?** " Serena nodded. The others did not object as they knew Ash would probably slaughter them if they tried anything.

As they left, Serena looked up at her lover, "Ash I-". Before she could finish, he placed a finger on her lips, " **SHH...ME TOO SERENA...ME TOO**..."


	3. Chapter 2: Out of the Frying Pan

Chapter 2: Out of the Frying Pan...

 _Recap:_

 ** _Ash was captured by Giovonni and turned into an absol-human hybrid. He swore to kill every member of Team Rocket, even if they deserted the organization. Ash tracked a former agent and killed him. Serena and 4 of her friends witnessed it. Informing them of his actions, Serena refused to be left behind, going with him hoping to put his heart at ease one day. But it is not easy to drag one back from the shadows on your own..._**

 _Jubilife City, Sinnoh, 12:48 P.M., twelve days later_

" **WE SHOULD GET GOING** ," Ash said impatiently. He got nervous in large cities. Not because of his appearance, but because of an incident involving Serena and a particularly insistent thief. Needless to say, he won't be stealing for a while. " _Well, I wasn't going tell my mom that I'm traveling with a seven-foot tall, humanoid absol that happens to be my lover."_ Serena thought. " **YEAAHHHH... THAT MIGHT NOT GO OVER SO WELL.** " he said. Ash's telepathy comes in handy when he needs to stay out of sight. He had killed several Team Rocket admins last night, which unfortunately made the news.

Serena stepped out onto Route 8, unaware she was being watched from the shadows. " _Now's my chance!"_ the man thought, stepping out of the darkness. As soon as the man approached her, he was grabbed from behind and lifted into the air. " **NOT A VERY SMART MOVE,** " Ash snarled, " **MY TOLERANCE LEVEL IS LOW TODAY**." "Let me explain!" he screamed. Ash's claws were digging into the man's throat, releasing a trail of blood from the wounds. Serena heard the scream and had doubled back, hiding behind her lover. Worried that Ash wouldn't let the man explain, she begged him to let go. " **IF YOU TRY ANYTHING, I'LL TEAR YOU APART, AND FEED YOU TO THE SHARPEDO,** " Ash growled as the man lowered his hood, " **YOU...!** "

 _Route 15, Unova, 9:33 A.M., four days later_

" **STILL CAN'T BELIEVE YOU OF ALL PEOPLE WANT TO HELP US,** " Ash sighed. The cloaked figure turned out to be Ash's Sinnoh rival Paul. He had heard about Ash's 'condition' and was furious, though he did say Ash looked good as a pokemon. "Yeah well, no one causes my rival pain," Paul explained, "that's _my_ job." Ash laughed, which sent a chill down Paul's spine, " **GOOD TO SEE YOU HAVEN'T CHANGED.** "

"Morning...," Serena said as she stepped out of her tent. Ash and Paul could tell from her voice that she was exhausted.

" **HEY THERE,** " Ash called.

"I guess you haven't had much sleep either," Paul said yawning. They had found a survivor of Team Rocket trying to kidnap a group of pokemon. Paul and Serena destroyed the man's team, while Ash escaped with the pokemon. Even though he wanted to tear the man to pieces, Ash knew the pokemons' safety came first. When Ash returned, he found the man in a crumpled heap, still being kicked around by Paul's Electivire.

After packing up their supplies they continued their quest. A few minutes later, Paul broke the silence, "What are you going to do after you've exterminated Team Rocket?"Ash frowned. He hadn't thought about that. What would he do? As a hybrid, he would have difficulty explaining that he's a trainer, and he wasn't sure as to whether or not he could be captured. " **I GUESS I'LL CROSS THAT BRIDGE WHEN I GET THERE,** " he sighed. "I guess so." Paul agreed. Then something snapped.

Ash froze. His eyes narrowed and he clenched his teeth. His companions noticed his expression and became worried. Ash dropped to his knees, shaking as if the temperature had severely fallen. Ash began to breathe heavily. His vision blurred and heart rate skyrocketed.

Serena began to approach him when she was stopped by Paul, "Don't. Something's not right." Serena's heart sank at those words, knowing what Paul was implying, "You're not seriously thinking that he'll-" Serena was cut off by a low growl. She started sweating, realizing that Paul had been right. She turned around and began crying at the sight.

 _Meanwhile at the Oak Research Lab..._

Gary sat at his desk, staring intently out the window. He reached for the coffee mug Ash had given him before going to Kalos. It was custom made and had the words 'Ash and Gary: The World's Greatest Rivals' engraved on the side. As his hand neared the handle, a large crack appeared, striking through Ash's name. He stared at it for a while before turning back to the window, " _I'm not one to believe in omens, but I've got a very bad feeling._ "


	4. Chapter 3:And into the Fire

Chapter 3: ...And into the Fire.

 _Recap:_

 ** _Ash and Serena meet up with Paul after taking out the Team Rocket admins. As they continue on their vendetta, something happens to Ash. Paul and Serena know what it is, but what will they do? As they stare into the face of death itself, they realize things are more complicated than they thought..._**

 _Route 15, Unova, 9:47 A.M., fourteen minutes later_

" **Grrrrr...** " a low growl came from behind Serena. It was clear as day as to who's voice it belonged to. Serena slowly turned around realizing that the situation was more dangerous than she thought.

Ash was looking at them, growling like a wild animal. His bloodlust was so intense, she thought it could be felt for miles. Tears formed in her eyes as he approached them. His eyes had turned as red as blood. Paul knew that Ash would never forgive himself if he injured Serena, so he took a defensive stance, and prepared to fight.

"Electivire, standby for battle!" Paul yelled. The Thunder pokemon appeared in front of Serena, ready to fight. Paul knew he had to stop Ash, but he also knew that Ash wouldn't go down without a fight. He had to be careful, "Use Thunder on the field!"

Electricity streamed through the ground causing Ash to howl in pain.

Ash recovered quickly though and his right hand became shrouded in a purple glow.

" _Not good! His ability is Super Luck. If that Shadow Claw connects, it's over!_ " Paul thought. He realized that he'd forgotten about Ash's incredible endurance, having taken attacks from legendary pokemon at point-blank and survived.

Electivire was panting. It used up a lot of power to focus Thunder without any backlash. There was no way it could dodge, so Paul decided to go for broke.

"Electivire, Night Slash!" Paul commanded, hoping type advantage would work in his favor.

Night Slash and Shadow Claw collided, with both pokemon struggling to gain the upper hand. Unfortunately for Paul, Ash had retained his experience as a trainer and flipped over Electivire. Ash's strength and the speed of the movement caused Electivire to be thrown into a nearby river.

Paul realized Ash was to strong for him, but the battle was far from over. He recalled Electivire and sent out a different pokemon.

"Torterra, standby for battle!" He shouted. He hoped Torterra's power would be enough, "Leaf Storm, now!"

Ash dodged it, but the force of the attack created enough air pressure to send him headfirst into a tree. The impact knocked him out cold.

Paul recalled Torterra and walked over to Serena, "You okay?" She nodded, still stunned at her lover's sudden loss of control. As Paul helped her up, they heard a groan. "Ash!" she yelled, worried about his injuries. " **UGH** **...** **WHAT..HAPPENED?** " he asked, clearly unable to remember the fight. "You lost control for a while," explained Paul, "I knew you wouldn't ever forgive yourself if you injured Serena, so I fought agianst you. You got thrown into a tree headfirst. Apparently, it knocked some sense into you."

Ash was crying. He should have known this might happen. He put Serena in danger. She noticed her lover's tears and tried to hug him. Ash struggled to keep her away, afraid that he might lose control at any moment and hurt her, but he failed. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tight. Tears still flowing from his eyes, he gave in and embraced her.

After a few minutes, Ash noticed that she had fallen asleep in his arms. As Paul set up camp, he saw the first genuine smile form on Ash's face since his return. Watching them, Paul had only one thought: " _He has got to be the luckiest guy in the world._ "


End file.
